It is well known that an important trend in the personal computer and consumer electronics industries is explosive growth in the area of multimedia software programs, which are typically distributed on CD-ROM/DVD discs or via the Internet and which emphasize interactive audiovisual content. Games are one example of such multimedia software programs. A critical concern for hardware developers, software developers, and consumers is what platform will eventually emerge as the leading standard for viewing and interacting with such multimedia software.
Today, one dominant platform appears to be the desktop multimedia personal computer, which is typically an IBM compatible, Windows® based multimedia computer system. This may be true because of the large installed base. A large number of these systems have already infiltrated homes and businesses for other purposes. An overwhelming majority of multimedia software titles are therefore published for this platform, and can only be played on compatible systems.
As a result of this trend, consumers increasingly demand that the personal computer function as an entertainment system apparatus for playing and interacting with audiovisual compact discs, instead of merely as a machine for managing documents and performing desk work.
However, because of its traditional role as a machine for performing tasks like document editing and spreadsheet calculation, the personal computer has generally been physically designed for desktop work, not for entertainment. Thus, both the hardware chassis or case, as well as the user interface (e.g., mouse, keyboard, and VGA monitor), are generally built and integrated in a manner well-suited to a user sitting upright in an office chair working at a desk and staring at screens of documentary information at close range.
By way of contrast, the hardware chassis and the user interface are not similar to those which commonly form home entertainment system components. That is, the hardware chassis of a personal computer is not configured so as to resemble a home entertainment component such as a VCR or DVD player. Rather, the hardware chassis tends to be larger and less aesthetically appealing. Similarly, the keyboard of a personal computer tends to be larger and more cumbersome than a typical game controller for a contemporary dedicated game console.
The same is more or less true even for newer, portable laptop computers, which are not really comfortable for laps, but which are rather suited for smaller desktop settings such as an airline seat and tray table.
Preferably, consumers should be able to view and interact with multimedia software in the same relaxed comfort and manner in which they enjoy television, videos, and music, e.g., relaxing on a comfortable couch in the living room and watching images on a large screen television placed at a comfortable distance. Instead, because of the conventional, prior art architecture and design of personal computers, consumers must generally experience their multimedia titles in home office environments better suited for document work than for audiovisual entertainment.
Responding to this problem, a number of consumer electronics companies have recently begun selling proprietary multimedia consoles or game players, such as Nintindo's Game Cube, Microsoft's XBox and Sony's Play Station.
However, although these platforms are designed to provide consumers with a more satisfactory entertainment viewing experience than the traditional desktop computer, they have generally been conceived and implemented special-purpose game machines, and have not been electronically designed for compatibility with existing multimedia CD-ROM/DVD or Internet available titles published for the desktop PC platform.
Another response has been to take an existing, desktop or laptop personal computer and augment it with bridging technology such as converter cards that can receive video output in standard personal computer format and convert it to television-compatible format (e.g., NTSC video), whereupon the video output may be routed on to a television monitor. A company called Antec apparently offers such a product, called the TVator.
Although this ad-hoc approach does allow users to view personal computer multimedia software on a television set, it still suffers from important limitations. For example, the ad-hoc bridging approach is unwieldy and cumbersome, because the traditional desktop computer platform is not physically designed for the home entertainment environment, and the computer chassis and cables are not physically designed for easy integration with a television set and other home entertainment components.
Additionally, the video converter card does not address the user interface problem; namely, a typical personal computer keyboard and mouse are extremely inconvenient, if not totally unworkable, for a home user sitting on a comfortable couch and watching a large screen television several feet away. These drawbacks may be major deterrents for the home consumer.
A related problem and limitation of prior art players for interactive multimedia CD-ROM/DVD or Internet available titles is that the process of initiating the play of such titles is often cumbersome and confusing. Typically, in order to play an interactive multimedia CD-ROM/DVD disc using a conventional multimedia PC system, the user places the disc in a compact disc drive, and then commands the computer to install the title, which involves copying various files from the compact disc to the computer's hard disk drive, and setting the values of various system parameters. Alternatively, the game may be downloaded from a network, such as the Internet, and then installed.
It is known that commercially available titles often include interactive scripts and the like to facilitate this process somewhat. Nevertheless, the process of starting up an interactive CD-ROM/DVD or downloaded title remains less comfortable for consumers than the simple technique of pushing a play button on a remote control or on the control panel of a typical home entertainment appliance such as a television set or audio compact disc player.
In view of these limitations and drawbacks, an improved product for playing PC compatible interactive multimedia CD-ROM/DVDs or Internet available titles is greatly needed.